Area-way construction



. Aug. 19, 1930. u ET AL 1,773,641

AREA WAY CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 15, 1929 zsneets-sneet' 1 William .5 JFazo v INVENTOR.

. A TTORNE Y.

Aug. 19,1930; H, R U- AL AREA WAY CONSTRUGTION Filed-Nov 15. 1929 2 Sheets-Shut 2 1451250! Raw,

INVENTOR.

BY '4", Q

ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 19, '1930 rso STATES ATE Tfior i j;

GEORGE E. RAU AND -WILLIAM L. RAU, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO. J

AREA-WAY consrnuo'rion Application filed November 13, 1929. Serial No. 406,884. I

This invention relates to area-way construction in connection with building operations where windows are provided below grade.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved type of area-way structure which may be economically manufactured in the form of standardized sectional units, adapted to be readily placed in position with respect to the wall of a building and a window provided in such wall below grade.

The walls of area-way structures are ordinarily made of the same materials and at the same time as the building walls with which they are associated. It has thus been necessary to build, in the area-way excavation, two side walls and an outerwall, and

to install in the area-way proper an area-way basin, and a grating or grille for covering the top of the area-way.

By the present invention, the work of making such area-way structures is great-1y simplified, and the cost thereof is considerably reduced. This invention contemplates the casting from reinforced concrete, or other suitable material, a floor or basin section, a

' plurality of area-way wall sections, and atop building wall and without alteration of the latter. V

The invention will be clearly understood from the following description when consid-- ered in connection with the accompanying drawings; in WhlCll V Figure 1 is a central vertical section through a building wall and an area-way construction embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section on line 2-2 iof'Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section on line 33 of'Figure 1.

F lgure 4 is a View similar to Figure 2, showing application of the invention to a building wall having a pair of adjacent windows below grade; and

' Figure'5 is a view si "lar to Figure 2 showing how the form of the wall and coping sections may be varied to suit conditions wherewide windows are provided and a narrow area-way isdesired. A

Referring in detail to the drawings, 5 indicates a vertical wall portion which may be of curved, rectangular orother desired contour. This vertical wall is erected on a floor section 6, forming the area-way basin, the upper surface of which may slope downward to a centrally-disposed drain opening 7. The H floor section 6 has an integral horizontal extension 8 centrally of its outer edge adapted to project outwardly of the vertical wall portion 5 so 'as to provide additional support and so that when the earth is filled in the eX- cavation outside said wall portion, part of the earth will bear on the extension 8 and anchor the floor section in place.

The wall portion 5 is constructed of a plurality of horizontal superimposed sections 9, and disposedon the uppermost wall section 9 is a top or coping section 10. The inner vertical edges of the sections 9 and 10 are preferably beveled outwardly as at ---b so as to insure smooth joints on i the inside of the structure where these edges contact the building wallll, even though there be a slight irregularity in the outer surface'of said wall. Any spaces left at these joints may be filled with mortar, or the like. The inner edge of the floor section 6 abuts the outer face of the building wall ,llobelow the window opening 12 of the latter, the inner portion of said floor section being sustained by brick or other corbels 13 provided on the several sections of the structure are joined by means of metallic dowel pins 14 and without-theuse of mortar or cement, while the sections 6 and 10 are preferablyreinforced by suitable means,such as rods 15, and the x wall sections 9 by suitable means, such as wire tion is filled with cinders or gravelasat 19 1 to facilitate passage of water from the drain opening 7 to this drain pipe 18. A shallow layer or bed of sand may be provided beneath having their ends embedded in opposite sides of the latter.

5. A construction as specified in claim 1, wherein the vertical end edges of the vertical wall sections are bevelled outwardly.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

GEORGE I-LRAU. WILLIAM L. RAU.

-the outer portion ofthe floor section 6 and its extension 8 for a similar purpose and to facilitate levelling of said floor section and provide a uniform bearing surface.

Where a pair of adjacent narrow windows are provlded below grade, smaller area-way structures may be lnstalled s1de by side as shown in Figure 4, while structures of laterally narrow form may be provided when desired for wider wlndows as shown in F 1gure 5.

- Minor changes are contemplated within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed. a

hat we claim as new is:

1. In combination a foundation wall having a window opening therein leading to an area-way excavation and provided with exterior corbels directly below and at opposite sides ofsaid window'opening, and an areaway structure set 1n said excavation opposite said window opening, said area-way structure comprising a pre-cast bottom basin sec- 1 tion having a drain opening and set upon the bottom of saidexcavation with its inner portion seated upon and sustained by said corbels a plurality of superimposed pre-cast vertical wall sections set upon the bottom basin section, and a pre-cast top coping section set upon the uppermost vertical wall section,-the inner edge of the bottom basin section flatly abutting said foundation wall directly below the window opening, and the ends of said vertical wall sections and the top coping section abutting said foundation wall at opposite sides of the window opening.

2. A' construction as specified in claim 1, V

wherein the bottom basin section has a hori zontal projecting extension centrally of its 'outer edge upon which earth is adapted to be filled for anchoringsaid bottom basin section against movement.

3. A construction as specified in claim 1,

wherein dowel pins form the sole means for joining all of the said sections and for maintaining them against relative lateral shift lIlg;

4. A construction as specified in claim 1, in

combination with a covering for the areaway structure embodying grating bars eX- tending across the top coping section and 

